# US 2014/0279233 A1 · System and method for an affinity capture, user feedback and affinity analysis > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0279233 A1 - Document ID: US20140279233A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/209,298 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Inventors: Andrew Man-Hon Lau; Joseph Taisup Chung; David Andrew Joy; Kwan Hong Lee; Aatish Dilip Salvi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140279233A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0603: {Catalogue creation or management} - G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users - G06Q 10/44: Identification of trends within social networks, e.g. identification of trending topics - G06Q 10/46: Determination of level of influence of users within social networking services - G06Q 10/48: using social graphs - G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Provided in some embodiments is a social platform for soliciting qualified opinions and facilitating shopping, engaging shoppers, and delivering feedback. The social platform can communicate or integrate with existing sites to provide options for interacting with other qualified users. The platform can improve engagement, and increase social interaction. In some embodiments, affinity/feedback systems are provided that generate feedback for shoppers during their shopping experience. In addition to providing real-time feedback and opinions to shoppers, affinity and feedback systems can be configured to analyze and stored information on a complete purchasing experience. The complete purchasing experience can include, for example, initial identification of interest (e.g., establishing a purchase intent), specification of a product or service detail, actual identification and/or comparison of products/services, any interaction between shopping participants, conversations between participants, actual service/product purchase, and can also include after purchase conversation and/or review. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing an affinity and feedback platform, the system comprising: at least one processor operatively connected to a memory, the processor when executing is configured to: accept user definition of product characteristics; publish a help request for product selection including the product characteristics to a group of related users, responsive to definition of the product characteristics; and identify, automatically, the group of related users based, at least in part, on at least one of on-line social connections accessible for the user and associations between existing user profiles and the product characteristics. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a capture component configured to capture the on-line social connections for the user from third party on-line systems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the capture component is configured to identify automatically product selection content on the third party systems. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the capture component is configured to generate and associate metadata with a user profile responsive to product selection content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising a ranking component configured to determine a ranking for members of the group of related users. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the ranking component is configured to alter a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to prior shopping interactions with the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the ranking component is configured to alter a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to the user selecting the member of the group of related users for the help request. ### Claim 9 The system according to 6, wherein the ranking component is configured to alter a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to help request information captured by the system responsive to help requests submitted by other users. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising a display component configured to generate a display of the group of related users in a user interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the display component is configured to access ranking information from a ranking component, and organize the display of the group of related users based, at least in part, on the ranking information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the display component is configured to access ranking information that associates rankings to users based, at least in part, on affinities between at least one of the user initiating the help request and the product characteristics accepted from the user. ### Claim 13 A computer implemented method for delivering feedback, the method comprising: accepting, by a computer system, user definition of product characteristics; publishing, by the computer system, a help request for product selection including the product characteristics to a group of related users, responsive to definition of the product characteristics; and identifying, automatically by the computer system, the group of related users based, at least in part, on at least one of on-line social connections accessible for the user and associations between existing user profiles and the product characteristics. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises capturing the on-line social connections for the user from third party on-line systems. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises identifying automatically product selection content on the third party systems. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises generating and associating metadata with a user profile responsive to product selection content. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises determining a ranking for members of the group of related users. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein ranking includes altering a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to prior shopping interactions with the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein ranking includes altering a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to the user selecting the member of the group of related users for the help request. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein ranking includes altering a ranking for a member of the group of related users responsive to help request information captured by the system responsive to help requests submitted by other users. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises generating a display of the group of related users in a user interface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises accessing ranking information, and organizing the display of the group of related users based, at least in part, on the ranking information. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises accessing ranking information that associates rankings to users based, at least in part, on affinities between at least one of the user initiating the help request and the product characteristics accepted from the user. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises accessing identification information, and organizing the display of the group of related users, based at least in part, on the identification information.